


Misunderstandings

by Fall_Into_Oblivion



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Betaed, Deviant Upgraded Connor | RK900, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, Gavin Reed Needs a Hug, Gavin Reed Swears, Gavin Reed is Bad at Feelings, Hurt/Comfort, Intrusive Thoughts, Kissing, M/M, Other, POV Gavin Reed, POV Third Person, POV Third Person Limited, POV Upgraded Connor | RK900, Pining, Pining Gavin Reed, Quarantine, Soft Gavin Reed, Soft Upgraded Connor | RK900, Soft Upgraded Connor | RK900/Gavin Reed, Swearing, Tenderness, Touch-Starved, Touch-Starved Gavin Reed, Unreliable Narrator, Upgraded Connor | RK900 Has Feelings, Upgraded Connor | RK900 Needs a Hug, bc theyre insecure, give these boys a hug, honestly, idiots to lovers, might add a second chapter from nine's pov, quareedtine, teen rating due to swearing btw, yall i got MYSELF with the feels on this one
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-22
Updated: 2020-04-14
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:27:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23237677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fall_Into_Oblivion/pseuds/Fall_Into_Oblivion
Summary: Gavin is forced to confront some of his feelings. He is surprised by the comfort he finds when they end up overwhelming him.Alt. Title is... Emotionally Constipated: The Fic(Written for Quareedtine)
Relationships: Upgraded Connor | RK900/Gavin Reed
Comments: 7
Kudos: 140





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> My response to the Prompt our Lord and Savior Michelle The Octopunk posted on Twitter. I ran away a bit with the prompt, and it ended up being more touch-starved and emotionally centered than quarantine centered but,, you know. I tried.

Gavin thought he would be prepared for this. As soon as he heard of the places around him closing for public safety, he _knew_ they would end up sticking his ass at home. Idly, he flicks through the tablet the precinct had given him so he would be able to work from home, when he hears a crash come from the direction of his kitchen (if you could call it that- he doesn’t get paid enough to have anything fancy).

“Phck! You little shit! You better not be in the trash again!” Gavin swears as he bolts out of his idle position on the couch, swearing all the while, and the answering call of frantic claws scrabbling over the linoleum is the only evidence he needs, even before he sees the garbage scattered over the floor. 

His sock clad feet scramble for traction as he hunts down the little devil, eventually diving to scoop up the rascal, and he’s still on his stomach holding a very unhappy cat when he hears a key turn in his door and his partner from work and (frankly embarrassing-) crush steps through the entryway into his studio apartment.

“Phcking hell- why can’t I ever catch a break?” Gavin grumbles under his breath as he sits and begins to stand from the floor, cat still tucked under his arm, icy blue eyes tracking his progress all the while.

“Detective,” Nines quirks a brow, “did I catch you at a bad time?”

Gavin scoffs at that, “Clearly! Phkin’ tin can.”

Finally, Gavin makes it to his feet, even as his bastard of a cat manages to squirm himself out of his grip, making a quick bolt for the still slightly ajar door, the android easily blocking the scoundrel with his foot before quickly closing the door to stem any further attempt at escape. 

Nines releases a huff of breath out from his nose, looking down in amusement as the detective’s cat starts to rub against his legs, hoping to get the android to open the door once more. Cold blue eyes look up only to make contact with the grey-green pair across the room. Gavin had crossed his arms over his chest and furrowed his face into a clear frown.

He rolls his eyes before partially turning away and asking, “what are you doing here, tin can?”

In response, Nines sighs deeply, “even with the quarantine, we are expected to put just as much time and work into cases as usual, I thought it would be most efficient to come to your place of residence to work, as working apart would become significantly less efficient-”

“Yeah, yeah,” the shorter man cuts him off, now moving to set the trashcan upright once more, then moving to start dumping the scattered garbage back into it. Nines took this opportunity to step further into the small living space and quickly assess the quarters with his eyes. 

Done with his task, Gavin moves to stand in front of Nines once more, looking him up and down before gesturing for Nines to take a seat on the couch. Nines gracefully moves to do so, picking up the tablet from where it lay on the floor to gently set it on the coffee table. He sits stiffly as Gavin finishes brewing himself a cup of coffee. Gavin sets the cup down on the table before plopping himself down onto the opposite end of the couch. 

“So what's the plan, plastic?” 

“We should go through our casework as if we were still at the precinct.”

Gavin rolled his eyes, “so separately you mean?”

Nines heaves another sigh, hands idly rubbing together and Gavin tracks the movement with his eyes, even the few days in quarantine are starting to get to him. He can feel the phantom sensations of the normal few pats on the back he would get from Tina if they were still working normally. He _aches_ with the need for contact, the sensation even stronger than the pull he usually feels towards Nines. He holds himself back even when his skin starts to prickle. Tearing his eyes away, he picks up the tablet from the coffee table and opens up their latest assignment, a very open and closed homicide case where the husband killed the wife in a jealous rage.

“Detective Reed, your heart rate is elevated. Is there a problem?”

“Tch, no! Mind your own phckin’ business!”

Gavin can feel the tips of his ears grow warm as he growls out his embarrassed reply. He ignores Nines by continuing to scroll through the tablet until he sees a large hand make an aborted attempt to touch his shoulder, before curling back and away as if disgusted to make contact. The ache in his chest worsens. Nines looks away once more and his LED spins yellow as Gavin assumes he begins to sort through his own paperwork. Gavin sighs internally as he attempts to lessen the awkward tension built by the stilted dialogue. 

“Hey, you know you can call me Gavin when we aren’t at the precinct, right?” Gavin watches as Nines stops to process this information, mouthing his name with what Gavin swears is a disgusted curl of his lip. Abruptly, this makes Gavin stand as he grabs his coffee cup once more, muttering some bullshit about ‘coffee’s cold- gonna reheat it’ before hustling into his small kitchen, cursing the open layout of his studio apartment as he feels the way Nine’s eyes follow his stuttered movements. He pops his coffee cup into the microwave to heat it (it wasn’t even _cold_ yet, idiot-) and rests his head on the cool wood of the surrounding cabinetry. He doesn’t feel the body moving to stand behind him until a hand reaches to open the microwave once more, stopping the lazy rotation of the cup inside.

“Any hotter and your coffee would be unsafe to drink, Detective.”

The voice startles him, making him jolt and whip around to look at Nines, now standing less than a foot away from him, moving even further away when Gavin makes an aborted attempt to reach out to Nines. He pulls his hand back as if burned, eyes welling with tears that he attempts to blink away, pinching his eyes shut and wrapping his arms around himself, seeking some semblance of comfort. He starts to shudder and holds back a ragged sob when he feels a large hand clasp onto his shoulder, making him tremble briefly before opening his eyes and looking up into the ( _concerned_ -?) _disgusted_ blue eyes of his partner. There are an intense few moments of eye contact as Gavin feels the tears built up in his eyes begin to fall, even as his whole being begins to lean into the little bit of contact given to him, making his eyes scrunch closed once more.

_Pathetic_ , he thinks to himself, closing his eyes and shuddering harder as the contact pulls away. _You really are pathetic for ever thinking he could care about you, what have you ever done to earn the right to his affection? You’re just someone he is forced to tolerate at work. He won’t even call you by your name. Look at you now, he’s probably leaving your sorry ass here to cry on your own. You push everyone away to the point that even your best friend doesn’t want anything to do with you, much less give your grimy ass a_ hug _, so why would_ he _? You’re such an asshole, I'm surprised they haven’t just gotten rid of you yet. You shouldn’t need to be coddled like some weak toddler, what are you, some fucking pussy? You should know better than this by now. The waterworks won’t get you anywhere._

Gavin can hear Nines move as he tries to hold back another sob at the loss of contact- as well as the burning sensation left behind from the overwhelming and absolute _emotion_ that sweeps violently through him. Suddenly, there is a body boxing him into the counter, and faux calloused hands reach up to gently sweep away the tears that make swift rivulets down his cheeks. 

“If I had known quarantine would affect you this deeply I would have come over earlier, Detective,” Nines’ soft voice cracks slightly, causing Gavin to pry open his eyelids to get a better look at the android in front of him. The softness of the eyes before him take him off guard, causing a small hiccuping sob to fall from his lips as he leans further into the hands that now move to the nape of his neck and the small of his back to pull him into the comfort and safety of the android’s embrace.

His face lands in the crook of the android’s neck and he sniffles as he mutters and hiccups between sobs, “not jus’ the ‘tine.”

Gavin can feel the hand on his neck and lower back stiffen with tension before relaxing once more. He lets more tears escape into the fabric of Nines’ top as he tries to once more hold back his ugly sobbing.

Voice cracking once more, “Oh, _Gavin,_ ” Nines embraces him tighter and actually moves to pick him up so he could move them both back over to the couch, cradling Gavin close to his person all the while. Gently, he settles them down, laying the length of the couch so Gavin could lay on top of Nines while he cried. Nines begins to hum a gentle tune to try to help settle Gavin, and after what seems like hours, he finally cries himself out, tears running dry until even the dry sobbing silences itself, the deep ache that had settled itself into his chest so long ago finally seems to release some of its weight- albeit, not gone but- infinitely better than it had ever been since it first manifested and put an extra weight on his shoulders. 

After some time of silence, save for Nines’ quiet humming, Gavin speaks up, “why ya’ bein’ so nice t’ me?” the words are spoken softly, like he is afraid of the answer, and to be honest, Gavin was. He was afraid that this comfort he had only just begun to know would be cruelly ripped from his fingertips and he would be left to bandage the scars its absence left, left to the sharp edges and gaping chasm of his unnameable _urge_ to be close to those he cared about but was always, _always_ , too afraid to express. Even without looking, Gavin can feel the swift change in Nines’ demeanor.

“Gavin… It's because I care about you.” 

Gently, oh-so-reverently, Nines tips up Gavin’s head so they are eye-to-eye once more. Nines’ eyes are so full of _love_ and _wanting,_ Gavin almost wants to start crying again. He has never been met before with a look such as this meant for _him_.

“It’s because I want you to be happy. I want to _make_ you happy,” Nines continues.

Gavin searches Nines’ eyes for any trace of lies, and is overwhelmed when he finds none. His eyes search the others once more before flicking down to the other’s lips, quickly flicking them up again when Nines inhales sharply.

“Gavin…” the gentle hands come up to cradle his face once more, “... can I kiss you?”

“ _Yes,_ ” is all Gavin manages to get out before another set of lips are pressed against his own. One of the hands on his face moves to gently pet through the short hairs on the nape of his neck. When he finally has to pull away for air, teeth tenderly nip at his bottom lip before moving slightly away. They sit there for a few moments, simply breathing in eachothers air and reveling in the new development of their relationship. Gavin knows this doesn’t immediately fix all his problems- but he knows it's certainly a start. And when his eyes meet Nines’ again? Gavin begins to think this quarantine might not be so bad after all.


	2. Nines POV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The same story, but from a different perspective ;)

Nines felt the anticipation inside himself growing at the prospect of getting to spend some time with Gavin outside work hours. Well, they would be working, but it would be within the confines of Gavin’s very own apartment. Exiting the self-driving cab, Nines peers up at the looming building before him. The ‘bird in his ribcage’ (he doesn’t understand why people insist he must use metaphors to describe what he's feeling because apparently ‘normal people’ express what they feel verbally-) flutters violently at the thought of seeing what the detective is like outside of a working environment.

The trek up the stairs to the detective’s apartment gives him time to fortify and compose himself. He cannot predict what Gavin’s reaction would be if he ever decided to confess, and he wasn’t sure if he wanted to take the chance of rejection from one of the few people that had managed to worm their way past his cold exterior and hard expressions. After the rejection it would be highly likely Gavin would file a request for a different partner.

His idle thoughts are swept away when he approaches the detective’s door to a struggle inside. He hurries to unlock the door, face set in a stern expression in case there was a problem, but he felt his face instantly soften in fondness at the scene before him. Nines stands in the entryway as Gavin mutters about being unable to catch a break. 

“Detective,” Nines lets himself quirk an eyebrow and sweeps his gaze over Gavin with an appreciative eye, “did I catch you at a bad time?”

“Clearly! Phkin’ tin can,” Gavin scoffs, and Nines keeps his eyes on him even as the detective’s cat manages to squirm out of his hold, not even taking them away when he blocks the cat effortlessly, closing the door so no further attempts at escape can be made. 

When the cat begins to rub against his legs, Nines lets a short puff of air out through his nose and looks down at the cat before once more letting his eyes travel up to the detective’s own. He observes how Gavin had shifted into a (quite frankly, cute-) self comforting stance, arms across his chest and face showing his clear displeasure at the RK900s invasion to his home. 

“What are you doing here, tin can?” With the detective's eyes away from him for a moment, he lets his shoulders slump minutely at the displeasure dripping from Gavin’s tone of voice. 

He feels the need to defend his actions, so he begins to explain his reasoning, “even with the quarantine, we are expected to put just as much time and work into cases as usual, I thought it would be most efficient to come to your place of residence to work, as working apart would become significantly less efficient-”

He gets cut off as Gavin moves to begin picking up the tipped over garbage can (presumably) knocked over by his cat. Nines can feel his fingers clench and release as he moves further into the apartment, taking time to observe the living quarters. They seem well lived in, idly noting the tablet set on the floor next to the couch, though not to the point of clutter, and he absorbs all the knowledge of the detective he can without actually moving to scan things more closely, filing it neatly away as his processors whirr in silent happiness at getting more information on the source of his affections, even if unrequited. He shoves the thought away as soon as it surfaces, having Gavin as a friend should be enough ( _ has  _ to be enough) he shouldn't push for something as unlikely as the attraction being mutual. Gavin moves into his sight once more, blocking further attempts at scanning the apartment. 

He doesn't know how to describe the feeling that washes over him as Gavin gives him a once over before gesturing for him to take a seat on the well loved couch, one side much more worn, with a Gavin shaped indent, so Nines takes a seat on the less worn and comfortable end. He picks up the tablet he had noticed laying on the floor next to the couch and gently deposits it on the coffee table positioned in front of the couch. He waits and watches patiently as Gavin finishes making his coffee. He can feel the fondness in his ribcage flutter at the comfortable way Gavin moves through his apartment, looking more comfortable than he ever could be at work.  _ This feels domestic, _ his traitorous mind whispers, and he can feel himself heat up slightly at the idea before he purges it from his mind.

“So what's the plan, plastic?”

“We should go through our casework as if we were still at the precinct.”

He can hear the sarcasm drip from Gavin’s voice as he says, “so separately you mean?”

Nines lets out another fond sigh, hands rubbing together for want of something to do (another unconscious habit he had picked up after deviating). He is slightly alarmed when his sensors pick an uptick in the detective’s heart rate, his mind immediately moving to possibilities of illnesses and symptoms in concern for his health. Gavin doesn’t comment on it, only moving to begin working on one of their current assigned cases, so Nines decides to bring it up instead.

He doesn’t let his worry seep through into his voice as he begins to inquire on the nature of his observation, “Detective Reed, your heart rate is elevated. Is there a problem?”

“Tch, no! Mind your own phckin’ business!”

Nines lets his shoulders slump further at the short reply the detective gives, blanking out his expression once more. Still concerned, he extends a hand to place on Gavins shoulder, before thinking better of it and pulling away before he can make contact. He doesn’t believe Gavin would enjoy the contact, as Nines had observed the detective only lets the people closest to him have casual contact. He looks away and can feel his LED spin yellow with this information while he attempts not to let the disappointment flood him.

He is shaken from his line of thought as Gavin comments, “Hey, you know you can call me Gavin when we aren’t at the precinct, right?” 

Letting himself still, he sorts through this new information, letting himself mouth the name with a fond curl of his lips, and is startled when Gavin declares his coffee is too cold, moving to reheat it in the kitchen. He follows the jerky movements with his eyes,  _ did he see me mouthing his name? Did I make him uncomfortable?  _ He stands and begins to move as Gavin puts the (still warm) coffee into the microwave. Nines stands slightly behind him as Gavin rests his head on the cabinet. Taking note of the coffee’s temperature, he opens the microwave’s door, stopping any further increase in temperature from the liquid inside the mug.

Nines keeps his eyes on Gavin as he states, “any hotter and your coffee would be unsafe to drink, Detective.”

He sees the way the detective jolts at being addressed, clearly not having heard Nines moving to stand behind him. Quickly, Nines takes a step back to give him space as Gavin moves to push him away. Nines then observes the way the detective quickly pulls his hands back into himself, wrapping them snugly around his middle and closing his eyes tightly. Taking a quick step forward, he notices as the detective starts to tremble, and he places a hand on the man’s shoulder just as he lets out a concerning sob. He feels another tremble as he does so, Gavin’s watery grey-green eyes opening to meet his own once more, and the distress he sees in them makes him feel as if his thirium pump is fracturing. The feeling only grows as tears begin to leak from those same eyes, he can feel every second pass as they hold eye contact before Gavin closes his eyes and begins to lean his whole body into the small point of contact Nines has on his shoulder. 

Nines pulls away, trying to think of a way to comfort the detective. Impulsively, he brackets Gavin into the counter, a solid line of contact as he brings his hands up to the detective’s (surprisingly soft, save for the scars-) face. He lets himself wipe away the tears from his face, even as more trickle down to replace them. 

“If I had known quarantine would affect you this deeply I would have come over earlier, Detective,” he keeps his voice soft, as to not distress the man further, even as it cracks mid-sentence at seeing him this distressed and feeling helpless to stop it. He can feel his expression soften at the state the man in front of him is in, and he watches the eyes attached to the person he  _ adores  _ open up to peer at him once more. Letting his hands slide down to the detective’s neck and the dip at the small of his back to cradle the man further, he uses this leverage to easily pull the man into a firm embrace.

He feels Gavin’s face land in the crook of his neck as he continues to cry, hearing his shaking voice whisper, “not jus’ the ‘tine.” 

His heart shatters at the dawning realization at just how long the detective could have been holding all this emotion back, “Oh,  _ Gavin, _ ” he doesn’t even wince at the crack in his own voice as he pulls the human even closer in his embrace.

Picking up the still crying man, he settles them gently onto the couch, taking all the care in the world to make sure Gavin won’t be uncomfortable as he comforts him. He settles so Gavin can lay comfortably on top of him while he cries. Nines frantically searches for more ways to comfort the detective, and finds one that seems the most viable without leaving or moving either himself or the body on top of him. He begins to hum a gentle tune, letting one hand move back to the small of the detective’s back, gently stroking up and down it to try to help placate his distress. He continues on even after Gavin seems to have cried himself out, but silences himself when the man laying on top of him speaks once more.

“Why ya’ bein’ so nice t’ me?” both the question and the way they are spoken (like Gavin expects him to be disgusted with him-) strengthens his sudden burst of resolve.

“Gavin…” he breathes, softly, reverently, “It's because I care about you.”

Nines lets his hands move so he can tip back the other man’s head to make eye contact with him. He lets all the emotions he harbors emerge in his face and eyes and he hopes Gavin  _ understands.  _ Understands that the look is for  _ him _ and  _ him alone _ . That Nines doesn’t plan on leaving anytime soon. 

“It’s because I want you to be happy. I want to _ make _ you happy,” he lets the same resolve and adoration spill into his words and actions. He holds eye contact as Gavin seems to search them for something, and at this point Nines has allowed his walls to crumble completely, the raw  _ feeling  _ inside him emerging after being repressed for so long. Nines takes a sharp inhalation of breath at the way Gavin’s eyes dart down to his lips before making eye contact once more.

“Gavin…” he lets his fingers curl under the other man’s jaw and gently cradle his face in his hands, “... can I kiss you?”

“ _ Yes, _ ” is all he lets Gavin get out before slotting his mouth against the man’s above him. Nines feels one of his hands involuntarily move to pet through the soft hairs on the detective’s nape, just as he had always wanted to. He is disappointed when Gavin pulls away, taking his bottom lip between his teeth in a gentle nip before pulling back slightly, letting the intimate moment drag on as they breathe one another’s air. When Nines’ eyes meet Gavin’s, he can see the same wonder there and he thinks,  _ thank rA9 they were feeling the same way.  _

**Author's Note:**

> This one hits a lil close to home, y'all. Take care of yourselves.  
> P.S. I blame Gitz for this being more angst-y than originally intended XD  
> P.P.S. I might make a second chapter to this from Nines' POV, just to milk that angst for all its worth ;3


End file.
